(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to food products and, more particularly, to a composition and method for reducing the presence of harmful bacteria in food and water.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The Pathogen Reduction Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends natural anti-microbial treatments for reducing or inactivating pathogenic bacteria in foods. The overall goal of this program is to develop a procedure to achieve at least 5-log CFU reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in meat products.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the leading causes of bacterial foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States. An estimated 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur each year. Many of these outbreaks are associated with the consumption of meat and meat products such as ground beef and ground beef patties.
Origanox™ is the tradename for the plant extract of Labiatae family of herbs manufactured by RAD Natural Technologies of Kiryat-Ono, Israel, and used as natural antioxidant in many food products. It is believed that it acts as a radical scavenger and prevents the development of lipid oxidation in foods. Other research work has shown that spices can act as anti-microbial agents. For example, spices have historically been added to many meat products to improve the quality and shelf life. However, it is not known which spices, their active ingredients or how much is effective.
Thus, there remains a need for a new and improved composition and method for reducing the presence of harmful bacteria in food and water.